NORTHLANE ANNOUNCE ALBUM RELEASE DATE
Photo: Kane Hibbard
Today marks the celebrated return of heavyweights Northlane as they unleash ‘Deathwish’, an arresting new single that serves as the fourth glimpse into their eagerly anticipated seventh studio album, Anemoia, which has now secured a fresh release date of November 27th due to prior production delays.
‘Deathwish’ seamlessly continues the narrative thread established by its predecessor, ‘Crucified’, crafting a vivid and uncompromising portrait centered around selfishness alongside the ruinous fallout born from unchecked self-importance.Propelled forward by intricate layers of synthesizers, soaring clean vocals that elevate the chorus, and a thunderously crushing breakdown, the composition directs its gaze inward, rigorously interrogating whether these toxic inclinations have fundamentally calcified into an inescapable facet of human identity.
Regarding the creation of the track, ‘Deathwish’ is described by frontman Marcus Bridge as “a companion song to ‘Crucified,’ but where that song surveys the landscape, ‘Deathwish’ zooms in on the individual. It's written from the first-person perspective of someone who is entirely unwilling to listen - convinced of their own reality, blind to anyone else's.I'm the centre of the universe / I'm blind to what you need,” before he further elaborates that “The lyrics aren’t self-referential, but it communicates an understanding of the psychology well enough to inhabit it, and the chorus turns the lens slightly inward: am I the one that's cursed? I know it's all I've come to be.”
Across a career defined by continuous seismic shifts, Northlane have consistently confronted technological anxiety,isolation, and societal collapse, transforming these anxieties into a deeply influential body of work that remains every bit as expansive as it is uncompromising. Faced with a world in dire straits, the band could easily have descended into complete cynicism on their seventh full-length release. Instead, they emerged from the recording booth with what stands as their most hopeful and deeply human collection of music to date.
Executive produced by Jordan Fish, the conceptual foundation for Anemoia was initially ignited during a mind-altering performance by UK producer and DJ Evian Christ. That experience inspired primary songwriter and guitarist Jon Deiley to investigate how the emotional intensity and physical magnitude of trance music could blend seamlessly alongside heavy guitars and cathartic aggression. Across the LP, Northlane’s signature electronic-heavy metal shapeshifts fluidly—moving through euphoric trance textures, massive breakdowns, complex grooves, drum-and-bass rhythms, jungle beats,and infectious pop hooks, ultimately fusing into a singular sonic identity.
Serving as the follow-up to their Australian #1 album Obsidian (2022), Anemoia explores the feeling of nostalgia for a time or place one has never actually lived through. This pervasive sense of nostalgic longing introduces a striking dynamic between darkness and light that anchors the entire record. Energetically bolstered by the artistic freedom of bygone eras, a lighter and more uninhibited spirit flows through offerings such as the vibrant, Britpop-infused ‘Start Again,’ the cheeky 2000s sensibilities of ‘CUT_it,’ the kinetic energy of ‘Evian,’ and the sprawling vocal interplay between Marcus Bridge and guest artist Rory Rodriguez (Dayseeker) on the title track.
“There's darkness here, but it's not nihilism - and there's hope, but it's not naivety,” adds Bridge. “We weren't interested in writing a record that projects something beyond ourselves with a prophetic statement, or pretending the world is better than it is. What we made instead is something that feels like it was written by real people living through the same experience as everyone else.”
